07-12-2022, 06:55 AM
Do rpms hurt motorcycles? Ridden within reason NO.
Each engine component has only so many cycles in it (bearings, rings, valves, cam chains, cylinders etc). You can use the cycles up fast or you can use them up slowly.
The average MotoGP race where motorcycles are run at maximum rpms for most of their life is 70 miles long. They run 18 of these races a season plus practice and qualifying. That computes to 1260 miles of racing plus maybe another let's say 4,000 miles in practice and qualifying or approx 5,000 miles total. They are allotted 7 engines to last the season. If high rpms didn't wear out engines, why would they need 7 engines to go 5,000 miles?
I've ridden 68,000 miles on my CB1100 and it still starts and runs great. Is it because it is made with more durable materials? Assembled with more care? Or is it because it has been stressed less and run at fewer rpms? Say 4,000 rpms max vs 18,000 rpm max. I dunno ......
I like to think of engines as hearts. The Chinese used to say that a mouse and an elephant get the same number of heart beats in their lifetime. A mouse at 600 beats per minute uses his up very quickly, while the elephant at 30 beats per minute uses his up very slowly.
Something to think about
Each engine component has only so many cycles in it (bearings, rings, valves, cam chains, cylinders etc). You can use the cycles up fast or you can use them up slowly.
The average MotoGP race where motorcycles are run at maximum rpms for most of their life is 70 miles long. They run 18 of these races a season plus practice and qualifying. That computes to 1260 miles of racing plus maybe another let's say 4,000 miles in practice and qualifying or approx 5,000 miles total. They are allotted 7 engines to last the season. If high rpms didn't wear out engines, why would they need 7 engines to go 5,000 miles?
I've ridden 68,000 miles on my CB1100 and it still starts and runs great. Is it because it is made with more durable materials? Assembled with more care? Or is it because it has been stressed less and run at fewer rpms? Say 4,000 rpms max vs 18,000 rpm max. I dunno ......
I like to think of engines as hearts. The Chinese used to say that a mouse and an elephant get the same number of heart beats in their lifetime. A mouse at 600 beats per minute uses his up very quickly, while the elephant at 30 beats per minute uses his up very slowly.
Something to think about